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C:\WINDOWS\system32\rundll32.exe

I was surfing the internet yesterday for condo rentals in Florida and my computer "froze up" for about 5 minutes. The connection terminated itself and I logged back on. During that next session, my spyware detected a malware file that it isolated and deleted. After that, I was not able to launch any software without Windows XP trying to locate the type of application to open.

I searched the harddrive with Windows Explorer and looked for the .exe files, which are still there. I figured I could look around in the registry but it would not launch by running regedit. Then I tried to see if some "other" software was installed by looking in my Control Panel in Add or Remove Programs. That is when I got the error message:

When the installation begins, follow the prompts and do not make any changes to default settings.

When installation has finished, make sure you leave both of these checked:

Update Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware

Launch Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware

Then click Finish.

MBAM will automatically start and you will be asked to update the program before performing a scan.

If an update is found, the program will automatically update itself. Press the OK button to close that box and continue.

If you encounter any problems while downloading the definition updates, manually download them fromhereand just double-click on mbam-rules.exe to install.

On the Scanner tab:

Make sure the "Perform Quick Scan" option is selected.

Then click on the Scan button.

If asked to select the drives to scan, leave all the drives selected and click on the Start Scan button.

The scan will begin and "Scan in progress" will show at the top. It may take some time to complete so please be patient.

When the scan is finished, a message box will say "The scan completed successfully. Click 'Show Results' to display all objects found".

Click OK to close the message box and continue with the removal process.

Back at the main Scanner screen:

Click on the Show Results button to see a list of any malware that was found.

Make sure that everything is checked, and click Remove Selected.

When removal is completed, a log report will open in Notepad.

The log is automatically saved and can be viewed by clicking the Logs tab in MBAM.

Copy and paste the contents of that report in your next reply. Be sure to post the complete log to include the top portion which shows MBAM's database version and your operating system.

Exit MBAM when done.

Note: If MBAM encounters a file that is difficult to remove, you will be asked to reboot your computer so MBAM can proceed with the disinfection process. If asked to restart the computer, please do so immediately. Failure to reboot normally (not into safe mode) will prevent MBAM from removing all the malware.

How do I get help? Who is helping me?For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear....Become a BleepingComputer fan: Facebook

Ok, some pesty adware there. Probably still more..Next run ATF and SAS:

Note: On Vista, "Windows Temp" is disabled. To empty "Windows Temp" ATF-Cleaner must be "Run as an Administrator".

From your regular user account..Download Attribune's ATF Cleaner and then SUPERAntiSpyware, Free Home Version. Save both to desktop ..DO NOT run yet.Open SUPER from icon and install and Update itUnder Scanner Options make sure the following are checked (leave all others unchecked):Close browsers before scanning.Scan for tracking cookies.Terminate memory threats before quarantining.Click the "Close" button to leave the control center screen and exit the program. DO NOT run yet.

Now reboot into Safe Mode: How to enter safe mode(XP)Using the F8 MethodRestart your computer. When the machine first starts again it will generally list some equipment that is installed in your machine, amount of memory, hard drives installed etc. At this point you should gently tap the F8 key repeatedly until you are presented with a Windows XP Advanced Options menu. Select the option for Safe Mode using the arrow keys. Then press enter on your keyboard to boot into Safe Mode.

Double-click ATF-Cleaner.exe to run the program.Under Main "Select Files to Delete" choose: Select All.Click the Empty Selected button.

If you use Firefox or Opera browser click that browser at the top and choose: Select AllClick the Empty Selected button.If you would like to keep your saved passwords, please click No at the prompt.Click Exit on the Main menu to close the program.

NOW Scan with SUPEROpen from the desktop icon or the program Files listOn the left, make sure you check C:\Fixed Drive.Perform a Complete scan. After scan,Verify they are all checked.Click OK on the summary screen to quarantine all found items.If asked if you want to reboot, click "Yes" and reboot normally.

To retrieve the removal information after reboot, launch SUPERAntispyware again.Click Preferences, then click the Statistics/Logs tab.Under Scanner Logs, double-click SUPERAntiSpyware Scan Log.If there are several logs, click the current dated log and press View log. A text file will open in your default text editor.Please copy and paste the Scan Log results in your next reply.Click Close to exit the program.

Please ask any needed questions,post logs and Let us know how the PC is running now.

How do I get help? Who is helping me?For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear....Become a BleepingComputer fan: Facebook

That particular error message may be resolved by downloading and running the CPL File Association Fix (Restore the default associations for CPL files) first. Restart your computer and if that did not work, then download and run the EXE File Association Fix from that same page as noted by boopme.

You're welcome Steve from all of us and thanks quietman for that timely advice.

If there are no more problems or signs of infection, you should Create a New Restore Pointto prevent possible reinfection from an old one. Some of the malware you picked up could have been saved in System Restore. Since this is a protected directory your tools cannot access to delete these files, they sometimes can reinfect your system if you accidentally use an old restore point. Setting a new restore point AFTER cleaning your system will help prevent this and enable your computer to "roll-back" to a clean working state.

Choose the radio button marked "Create a Restore Point" on the first screen then click "Next". Give the R.P. a name, then click "Create". The new point will be stamped with the current date and time. Keep a log of this so you can find it easily should you need to use System Restore.

Then use Disk Cleanup to remove all but the most recently created Restore Point.

Go to Start > Run and type: Cleanmgr

Click "Ok". Disk Cleanup will scan your files for several minutes, then open.

Click the "More Options" tab, then click the "Clean up" button under System Restore.

Click Ok. You will be prompted with "Are you sure you want to delete all but the most recent restore point?"

Click Yes, then click Ok.

Click Yes again when prompted with "Are you sure you want to perform these actions?"

 Avoidgaming sites, pirated software, cracking tools, keygens, and peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing programs. They are a security risk which can make your computer susceptible to asmörgåsbord of malware infections, remote attacks, exposure of personal information, and identity theft. Many malicious worms and Trojans spread across P2P file sharing networks, gaming and underground sites. Users visiting such pages may see innocuous-looking banner ads containing code which can trigger pop-up ads and malicious Flash ads that install viruses, Trojans and spyware. Ads are a target for hackers because they offer a stealthy way to distribute malware to a wide range of Internet users. The best way to reduce the risk of infection is to avoid these types of web sites and not use any P2P applications. Read P2P Software User Advisories and Risks of File-Sharing Technology.

 Keeping Autorun enabled on USB and other removable drives has become asignificant security risk due to the increasing number of malware variants that can infect them and transfer the infection to your computer. To learn more about this risk, please read:

How do I get help? Who is helping me?For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear....Become a BleepingComputer fan: Facebook